Patent US6336093B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US5532789A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0227906A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Electronic stringed instrument
Assignee: Yamaha Corp
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Filing: 1986-10-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-10-24
Abstract
Abstract An electronic stringed instrument includes strings (15₁ to 15₆), a plurality of metal frets (13₁ to 13₆), an ultrasonic transmitter/receiver (16₁ to 16₆) and a fret discriminator (22). The strings are kept taut above an instrument body (11). The frets (13 i ) are arranged below the strings (15 i ) along their extension direction. When a player depresses a given string (15 i ) to be picked, at least one of the metal frets (13 i ) is brought into contact with the given string. The transmitter/receiver (16 i ) is coupled to specified positions of the strings (15 i ) and causes ultrasonic vibrations of the strings and receives an echo vibration generated as a reflection of the ultrasonic vibration at a fret contacting the given string. The fret discriminator (22) discriminates the fret contacting the string among the metal frets (13 i ) according to the time difference between the generation of the ultrasonic vibration and the receipt of the echo vibration by the transmitter/receiver (16 i ).
Inventors
- 👤 Youjiro Takabayashi
- 👤 Masahiro Ikuma
- 👤 Takashi Norimatsu
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 13:28
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10H; G10H3/00; G10H3/12; G10H3/14; G10H3/18; G10H2220/00; G10H2220/155; G10H2220/165; G10H2220/181; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S84/00; Y10S84/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
172 words
An electronic stringed instrument comprising: an instrument body; a string which is stretched above said instrument body; a plurality of metal frets which are provided on said instrument body and below said string so that a player's depression of said string causes contact between said string and one or ones of said plurality of metal frets; ultrasonic transmitting/receiving means, provided on said instrument body and coupled to a specific point of said string, for generating an ultrasonic wave so that said ultrasonic wave is propagated through said string toward the nearest fret to said specific point among the fret or frets contacting said string and for receiving an echo wave which is a reflected wave of said ultrasonic wave from said nearest fret; and fret discriminating means connected to said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving means for discriminating said nearest fret among said plurality of metal frets according to a time difference between generation of said ultrasonic wave and the receipt of said echo wave and for generating a fret signal representing said nearest fret.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
172 words
An electronic stringed instrument comprising: an instrument body; a string which is stretched above said instrument body; a plurality of metal frets which are provided on said instrument body and below said string so that a player's depression of said string causes contact between said string and one or ones of said plurality of metal frets; ultrasonic transmitting/receiving means, provided on said instrument body and coupled to a specific point of said string, for generating an ultrasonic wave so that said ultrasonic wave is propagated through said string toward the nearest fret to said specific point among the fret or frets contacting said string and for receiving an echo wave which is a reflected wave of said ultrasonic wave from said nearest fret; and fret discriminating means connected to said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving means for discriminating said nearest fret among said plurality of metal frets according to a time difference between generation of said ultrasonic wave and the receipt of said echo wave and for generating a fret signal representing said nearest fret.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
189 words
An electronic stringed instrument comprising: an instrument body; a string which is stretched above said instrument body; a plurality of frets fixed on said instrument body and below said string so that a player's depression of said string causes contact between said string and one or ones of said plurality of frets; converting means provided on said instrument body and coupled to a specific point of said string for causing ultrasonic vibration of said string in response to a first signal and for converting echo vibration produced by a reflection of said ultrasonic vibration from the nearest fret to said specific point among the frets or frets contacting said string to a second electrical signal; fret discriminating means connected to said converting means for discriminating said nearest fret among said plurality of frets on the basis of said first and second electrical signals and for outputting a fret signal representing said nearest fret; and damping means for damping the ultrasonic vibration of said string at a predetermined ratio so that further echo vibration produced by a reflection of said echo vibration from said nearest fret can be substantially eliminated.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
189 words
An electronic stringed instrument comprising: an instrument body; a string which is stretched above said instrument body; a plurality of frets fixed on said instrument body and below said string so that a player's depression of said string causes contact between said string and one or ones of said plurality of frets; converting means provided on said instrument body and coupled to a specific point of said string for causing ultrasonic vibration of said string in response to a first signal and for converting echo vibration produced by a reflection of said ultrasonic vibration from the nearest fret to said specific point among the frets or frets contacting said string to a second electrical signal; fret discriminating means connected to said converting means for discriminating said nearest fret among said plurality of frets on the basis of said first and second electrical signals and for outputting a fret signal representing said nearest fret; and damping means for damping the ultrasonic vibration of said string at a predetermined ratio so that further echo vibration produced by a reflection of said echo vibration from said nearest fret can be substantially eliminated.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
188 words
An electronic stringed instrument comprising; an instrument body; a string which is stretched above said instrument body; a plurality of frets which are provided on said instrument body and below said string so that a player's depression of said string causes contact between said string and one or ones of said plurality of frets; a piezoelectric transducer element provided on said instrument body and coupled to a specific point of said string for causing ultrasonic vibration of said string in response to a first electrical signal, and for generating a second electrical signal on the basis of echo vibration produced by a reflection of said ultrasonic vibration from the nearest fret to said specific portion among the fret or frets contacting said string, and a third electrical signal on the basis of string vibrations upon the player's picking of said string; fret discriminating means for generating a fret signal representing a pitch corresponding to said nearest fret on the basis of said first and second electrical signals; and picking data generating means for generating picking data relating to said player's picking in accordance with said third electrical signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
188 words
An electronic stringed instrument comprising; an instrument body; a string which is stretched above said instrument body; a plurality of frets which are provided on said instrument body and below said string so that a player's depression of said string causes contact between said string and one or ones of said plurality of frets; a piezoelectric transducer element provided on said instrument body and coupled to a specific point of said string for causing ultrasonic vibration of said string in response to a first electrical signal, and for generating a second electrical signal on the basis of echo vibration produced by a reflection of said ultrasonic vibration from the nearest fret to said specific portion among the fret or frets contacting said string, and a third electrical signal on the basis of string vibrations upon the player's picking of said string; fret discriminating means for generating a fret signal representing a pitch corresponding to said nearest fret on the basis of said first and second electrical signals; and picking data generating means for generating picking data relating to said player's picking in accordance with said third electrical signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
An electronic stringed instrument according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said instrument body comprises a body portion, a neck portion and a head portion, said neck portion being between said head portion and said body portion; and said string is stretched between said body portion and said head portion.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
An electronic stringed instrument according to claim 4, further comprising a tail piece fitted on said body portion for fixing one end of said string; and a damper disposed between said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving means on said body portion for damping a vibration of said string produced by the player's picking of said string.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
56 words
An electronic stringed instrument according to claim 4, further comprising a tuning key provided on said head portion for fixing one end of said string; and a damper disposed between said tuning key and the nearest fret to said head portion for damping a vibration of said string produced by the player's picking of said string.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
An electronic stringed instrument according to any of claims 4 to 6, wherein said plurality of metal frets are arranged on said neck portion in a line.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
An electronic stringed instrument according to any of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a tone generator connected said fret discriminating means for generating a tone signal having a pitch determined by said fret signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
63 words
An electronic stringed instrument according to any of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: vibration detecting means, disposed between said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving means and the nearest fret to said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving means among said plurality of metal frets, for detecting vibration of said string produced by the player's picking of said string and for generating a detection signal based on the detected vibration.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
An electronic stringed instrument according to claim 9, further comprising a tone generator connected to said vibration detection means for generating a tone signal in response to said detection signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
An electronic stringed instrument according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving means are for converting a vibration of said string to a vibration signal, said vibration comprising echo vibration produced by said echo wave and picking vibration produced by the player's picking of said string.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
43 words
An electronic stringed instrument according to claim 11, further comprising vibration detection means connected to said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving means, said vibration detection means comprising a low-pass filter for receiving said vibration signal and for taking out a component only of said picking vibration.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
An electronic stringed instrument according to claim 11 or 12, wherein said fret discriminating means comprises a high-pass filter for receiving said vibration signal and for taking out a component of said picking vibration.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
An electronic stringed instrument according to any of claims 1, 3 to 13 further comprising a damper for damping ultrasonic vibrations propagating through said strings at a predetermined ratio.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
50 words
An electronic stringed instrument according to any of claims 1 to 14, further comprising: a bridge holder mounted on said instrument body; bridges mounted on said bridge holder and movable parallel to said strings; and a transmitter/receiver mounted on each of said bridges, for transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic wave.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
An electronic stringed instrument according to claim 15, wherein said transmitter/receiver comprises a piezoelectric element.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
44 words
An electronic stringed instrument according to claim 15, wherein said bridge comprises said piezoelectric element, conductive rubber members disposed in tight contact with both sides of said piezoelectric element, and leaf electrodes disposed in tight contact with both ends of said conductive rubber members.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
An electronic stringed instrument according to any of claims 3 to 17 wherein the picking data includes data representing a strength and/or a timing of said player's picking.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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